Letter 636

To Martinus, a Rich Old Man Who Loves Fornication. "Their sons are like young plants firmly set in their youth." [Psalm 143:12 LXX] Since, having set aside the literal narrative, you ask me to set out for you the spiritual contemplation of these words, learn it, even though you do not wish to. For perhaps you have asked us without even wishing to; you were expecting some other interpretation to be given, not this one. The sons of the unclean demons are said to be filthy thoughts and all base ways of life, which turn sin-loving men back toward wicked deeds. These, then, like young plants, are firmly and immovably set in your youth, since, even though your body has grown old, you nonetheless flourish in abominations and stay young in your accursed lust; from a young age down to deep old age you persist insatiably in your raging fornication. And in you is fulfilled the proverb that says that an evil passion of the soul never grows old. If, then, even now you are put to shame by these words, groan bitterly, and, as one sobered from a long-lasting drunkenness, beseech God who is able to do all things to work a wonder in you, and to shake loose those base and blameworthy young plants, and to disturb them and tear them up from their very foundations by His divine power. So that at last, having ceased from fornication and come to rest, you may be able to say: "Beneath me my condition was shaken; therefore I shall be at rest, looking toward my end."

« Οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτῶν ὡς νεόφυτα ἱδρυμένα ἐν τῇ νεότητι αὐτῶν, » Ἐπειδὴ τὴν ἱστορίαν καταλιπών, παρακαλεῖς με τὴν θεωρίαν τῶν ῥητῶν παραθέσθαι σοι, μάθε καὶ μὴ βουλόμενος. Ἴσως γὰρ καὶ μὴ θέλων ἡμᾶς παρακέκληκας, ἄλλην τινὰ ἑρμηνείαν δοθῆναι, οὐ ταύτην προσδόκησας. Υἱοὶ τῶν ἀκαθάρτων δαιμόνων λέγονται οἱ ῥυπαροὶ λογισμοί, καὶ πάντες οἱ φαῦλοι τρόποι, οἱ εἰς τὰς πονηρὰς πράξεις καταστρέφοντες τοὺς φιλαμάρτους ἀνθρώπους. Οὗτοι γοῦν, καθάπερ νεόφυτα, ἵδρυνται ἀκινήτως ἐν τῇ νεότητί σου, ἐπειδὴ, κἂν τὸ σῶμα γεγήρακας, ἀλλοῦνψε τὰ βδελυγμὰ ἀκμάζεις, καὶ νεάζεις τῇ ἐπαράτῳ ἐπιθυμίᾳ ἐκ νέας ἡλικίας μέχρι βαθέως γήρως προπαραμένεις ἀκορέστως τῇ λυσσώδει πορνείᾳ. Καὶ ἐπὶ σοὶ πληροῦται ἡ παροιμία ἡ λέγουσα, ὅτι Πάθος ψυχῆς πονηρὸν οὐδέποτε γηράσκει. Εἰ οὖν κἂν νῦν ἐντρέπῃ τοῖς λόγοις τούτοις, ἀναστέναξον πικρῶς, καὶ ὡς ἐκ μέθης πολυχρονίου ἐκνήψας, ἱκέτευε τὸν Θεὸν τὸν πάντα ἰσχύοντα θαυματουργῆσαι ἐν σοί, καὶ διασαλεῦσαι τὰ φαῦλα καὶ ψεκτὰ νεόφυτα, ταράξαι τε καὶ ἐκ βάθρων ἀναῤῥιζῶσαι αὐτὰ τῇ θείᾳ δυναστείᾳ. Ὅπως λοιπὸν παυσάμενος πορνείας, καὶ ἀναπαυσάμενος δυνηθῇς εἰπεῖν, ὅτι Ὑποκάτωθεν ἐταράχθη ἡ ἕξις μου, διὸ ἀναπαύσομαι πρὸς τὴν τελευτὴν βλέπων.